You are here

September 7, 2011

Minutes for September 7th,2011

I. Roll Call

II. Approval of Minutes

· Approved!

III. Approval of Agenda

· Approved!

IV. Guest Speaker

· Jerry Martinez Director of Financial Aid: an update of whathas changed, changes in last year and how they impact us a students and whythey were made them. Two new F.A. (Financial Aid) counselors, alphabetized forsplitting counselors. No counselor’s on staff previously. Helps to effectivelycommunicate to have a better relationship between FA office and students. Whythe split between FA and cashier? Designed a plan to separate two functions, wedon’t want one office to have all the power to do both. FA is now on the groundlevel of Taylor. FA is now housed with admissions to help create enrollmentmanagement, so these needed to be together (FA & Admissions). Movedeverything for prospective and continuing students to an online format. Allowedservice to be quicker, and access form all homes, ability to accept FA packageonline.

o Q: Getting a hold of refund check? Why not send a genericemail before, for less traffic to FA office?

o A: We did actual send out emails, a big campaign last march.This fall we implemented entire online access. With fall semester bill, explainedhow refunds would be distributed email is the best way for us to communicatewith students. Check your email! That’s how we notify, and no longer notifyparents. Email campaign hopes to get students acclimated before the fall, and springhopefully will be better. It will only take 24 hrs to distribute checks inspring. Bill pay system allows access away from Gunny, set up payment plan, setup third party pin access. Imperative to communicate with parents about what’sgoing on. Take’s at least a yearto get used to a new system. It is more efficient for FA office.

· Work-study was a big one this fall, award less. Last 3-4years Western has been overspent on work-study. Decided to reduce award ($1450avg. student), average this year was ($1500). Awarding money that was not beingused, and tied up too much money when money was spent. Satisfactory academicprogress, required to make this measurement, rules have become stricter to monitoron a per semester basis and to be stricter on these guidelines. The economy isnot good, with a high budget deficit the Pell Grant is approximately 32 Billiona year. 75% of all courses need to be completed each semester with a passinggrade. If in bad standing, one semester to get in good standing, if notpossible and a student has two back-to-back semesters on bad standing then astudent goes on probation. Also, cumulative GPA must be above a 2.0 as of July1st. Awards that went out this year more quickly and more often, toaward up front and then if the fed’s needed documents then students will knowprior to paying. Notification of additional information comes in May. The morecommunication the better for everyone.

o Q: is there an offer to get a paper check?

o A: one time this fall there will be a possibility to get paperchecks. This is an option for students to help get settled under variouscircumstances.

V. Action Items

· Sustainability Conference Bill-

o Senator questions: what will each students role be? How muchof a part do all three students have?

§ Initially four roles created, student oriented, where the other2 work with recycling and facilities, things began to morph, roles are workingwith res. life, waste production, product consumption. Presenting sameinformation it is a team effort to do this. Similar roles together, and stillforming, sustainability coordinator is usually a paid position. It shows theability of teamwork, divide and conquer and then reevaluate. All bring varioussources of knowledge to the group.

o Q: justify hotel cost of $672, type of hotel, location,price

§ A: one room, 3 coordinators as well as boss. DoubletreeHilton hotel in Pittsburgh walking distance to conference, don’t have to dealwith cab fares. The one further away was also more expensive.

o Q: How much do you think you have saved at Western StateCollege of Colorado

§ A: I don’t think you can actual quantify our work at WesternState College of Colorado since most of it is communication and outreach.

o Q: Have you moved any closer to other resources?

§ A: Spoke with boss about other possible sponsorships. Shemay be willing to make a donation. Also, will speak to SAC, and reevaluatefunds from sustainability coalition.

o Q: What is the return on the conference?

§ A: A couple of initiatives to make on campus, unknown ofwhat it will look like, maybe a communication system to better work on thecampus as a whole across disciplines. A bigger and better brainstorm of what ishappening on campus.

o Q: Address the importance of being allocated an hour?

§ A: This is very prestigious; many students only get 20 min.rather than an hour. Being acknowledged for doing a great job at Western StateCollege of Colorado, where other students are not doing the same things is anhonor.

o Q: What will you be presenting?

§ A: Address why positions came into play, why faculty andadministration came together to created this image on campus.

o Q: How was the power pledge?

§ A: At orientation gave power strips to any studentsinterested in participating, figuring out how to quantify change per floor, orper building. Perhaps these questions can be answered through surveys.

· Motion to pay for plane tickets and to re-discuss after sometime to see if alternate funding is available ($960)

o Allocating $960 now, to revisit next week on the followingexpenses.

VI. Discussion Items

· Allocation of internal $4,000 and $6,000 from bill ($3,000is from PC co-sponsorship)

o Grace: In the spring we allocated a full budget making theassumption that full enrollment would exist. We are short 17K. What to do now? Wethought we would have 337K but we actually have 319K. We now get to decide whatto do. Options: nothing, 1% budget cuts, and giving all money with accessreserve, or a combination. 45K in reserve, required to have 20K in reserveunless extreme emergency, then 18K in reserve that we could spend to cover. 2Kwould be left in reserve if we covered everything. Club sports when in withouta budget, so they cannot even make copies of conduct. We assumed 10K would goto clubs, but now they have nothing and so do we. We could reduce 4K frominternal (left with 3K for yr.), bill fund would be cut by 6K (6K left/yr.) Whatto do with the shortfall? Open to discussion.

§ Club sports are important to enrollment and retention. 17Kshortfall, reserves are there for emergency, next year we can figure somethingelse out. If we don’t grant club sports money it will discredit whole campaign.SGA surplus goes into reserve. Retention at Western 60%, for students in clubsat Western State College of Colorado it is closer to 75%. Club sports startingto fundraise and create incentives, donate X$ and have an incentives forfundraising. This is their basic operating budget.

o Q: Money for emergency-what is considered a biggeremergency?

§ A: This would be considered an emergency, mandatory reserve.We have never faced if we go below our reserve. Last year we overspent by 5Kbut interest covered it.

o Q: How can we be more frugal in future years, in caseenrollment continues to decrease?

§ A: We can make ways to cut money. We won’t be able to see asmany bills and cut on luxury items like name-brand candy.

o 10K we want to pull from current spending cash for entireyear, to keep the afloat. It is a large enrollment tool, which is necessary forsustaining Western State College of Colorado.

o Vote on club sports today

o 1% cuts would decrease by 3K.

o Motion to give 4K from internal for sports (Everyone) Passed

o Motion for senators to cut 6K from bill for sports (7/7)Passed

§ Club sports have money

o Motion to move budget discussion to next week.

· Homecoming

o Type up committees tonight, and will email out. Check listswill also be emailed.

· Sarah: Field house, show pictures of different designs,décor etc coming soon based on voting, Dot=like No dot=no like. Board ofTrustee’s meeting in North conference room, oversee all of Western StateCollege of Colorado functioning. Step Up certification training on sept. 12th7pm

· Nick: Van Tuyl ranch as part of annexation, a big deal. Alibrary project in the same area, mixed feelings from community members. Getinformed go to a city council meeting, perhaps “Adams State University”? Procycle-exposure for Gunny that one cannot pay for. Maybe 3 million of freeadvertising

· Grace: emailing PPT and EXCEL docs. Everyone on budgetcommittee, please come it is mandatoryand bring your advisor, and tardiness is not accepted. Senators are notrequired to come. If anyone on advisory committee that has class please emailGrace and give her the details. Sex positive club Weds. 4pm in LEED office--pleasecome!

· Meg: Wordhorde at 7pm at Mocha’s on Sept. 8th.

· Blake: XC goes to Alamosa (ASU?) football team takes of atam to play pocatella University (sp?), there is a live feed online. Volleyballgoes to Grand Junction tomorrow, to play three games.

· Elijah: recycled percussion tomorrow at 7pm in Taylorauditorium. Be there or be square!

· Noah: intro to mountaineering this weekend.

XI. Special Topics

XII. Remarks for the Good of the Order

· Start a dancing group here at Western State College ofColorado. Show up as a dance team to promote Western would be nice, to dance atvarious Western events. Created a contract. Spoke with cheerleading coach aboutdance team and cheerleaders. The cheerlead coach believes that the cheerleadingteam is not progressing as much as their potential, perhaps more students wouldbe interested in dancing than cheerleading, which is the largest concern.

o Motion to starting dance team (8/8, approved!)

· HAPPY BIRTHDAY NICOLE WOOPWOOP!!

o Eating imaginary cake. Yum yum.

· NO PHONES

· Guest speakers can be added earlier to Agenda if you emailErika by 2pm on Tuesday before the meeting

· Nick: Perhaps first and third week of every month askeveryone of SGA to go to classes dressed up.